SCOTT Fox last night hailed Alan Archibald for never reaching boiling point as a boss – unlike the kettle he saw tossed at him when he was at Dundee!

The Partick Thistle No.1 reckons cool customer Archie’s modern methods are what kept the Firhill side in the top flight last season, the Jags manager keeping his head while all around others were losing theirs.

And he’s glad things have moved on from the old-school, tea-cup-flinging, tantrum- strewn days he experienced in the past.

It’s exactly that sort of even-keel decision-making fit-again Fox hopes will help earn his shirt back after missing most of the second half of last term.

The 26-year-old and veteran keeper Paul Gallacher are expected to go head to head again over the summer after splitting glove duties last season.

And Fox said: “I can’t speak highly enough of the manager. The way he is with the boys, the way he looks after everybody.

“He keeps the group close and knows when things are wrong he has to speak up and tell people. He will do things in the right way.

“You saw that with the changes and the people he brought in back in January. That shows how well he’s doing. He changed the way we played a bit during a wee bad run we were going through.

Scott Fox

“But he never lost his composure at any time. There were certain times, when results went the wrong way or we got a doing, we expected him to go through us.

“He just spoke to us though. He put the points across but not in an angry or aggressive manner. It was the way he spoke to us.

“He treats us like adults and has received a lot of respect back from the changing room. That’s the modern manager. Jackie McNamara is also roughly the same style.

“The days of the teacups flying seem to be gone. Gordon Chisholm was probably the worst I’d experienced. At one point up in Dundee I think it was a kettle that got thrown at us – boiling water and everything!”

Frustrated Fox made his comeback against Ross County on the final day of the season after 16 games out of the team, a few enforced by an ankle injury, the rest the result of his coach and mentor Gallacher doing so well it was impossible to prise him from the team.

But the keeper only lasted a half after a challenge from Jordan Slew wrecked the same ankle. Now Fox insists he’s almost ready to go full tilt into pre-season.

He said: “The ankle is going well. I’m feeling good. I’ve done a bit of running so I’ll test it on Friday and take it from there.

“The way the guy landed on it did my ligaments and tendons. It was the same ankle as the previous one but a different injury.

“It’s nearly there now. When I first did it, I thought I was going to be in a cast but it didn’t turn out too bad. It was only a couple of games I missed the first time but Gall was playing by that point.

“The end of the season was my chance to get back in – then that happened.

“I now have to make my case in pre-season to start as No.1 again. That’s the usual issue anyway.

“So it’s about getting the head down, working hard and hoping the gaffer picks me in the first game. I’ve got the No.1 jersey in training at least!”

Fox’s form in the first half of the season was enough to earn him a call-up to the Scotland squad for the friendly trip to Norway – something he prays isn’t a one-off.

He said: “You have a big positive then negatives come after that. I’ve had that a few times now. It’s about dealing with them.

“Those things make you stronger. It’s now important that I am playing week in week out and maintain that level I found in the first half of the season if I want to get recognised by Scotland again.

“The last three months or so were quite tough. But I could hardly deny Gall his opportunity when you see some of his performances. He did really well and was probably our Player of the Year in the last half along with Kallum Higginbotham.